2024 Approved Final Cut Pro Tutorial Adding Picture-in-Picture Overlays to Your Videos

2024 Approved Final Cut Pro Tutorial Adding Picture-in-Picture Overlays to Your Videos

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Final Cut Pro Tutorial: Adding Picture-in-Picture Overlays to Your Videos

How to Create a Picture-in-Picture Effect Using Final Cut Pro

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes we need to show two videos together on the same screen to convey certain usage information. If you are searching for a tool to make this task possible then Final Cut Pro is the best choice for you.

This tool can help you to use the picture-in-picture effect with ease. However, the process for adding this effect cannot be completed within one r two steps.

The article below contains complete details about how to add PIP effects using Final Cut Pro. You will be glad to know that FCP also works with few integrated plugins that assist in the free picture in picture effect generation.

How to Create PIP Effect with FCP

If you are ready with two videos and now want to bring them to the same screen then prefer to follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Add Background video

The very first step that you need to follow for PIP effect generation using FCP is to bring your main or background video to the timeline as a primary storyline. Once you have created the primary storyline then all videos for the PIP effect will be added to it.

add pip video

Step 2: Add PIP videos

It is time to choose the higher video clip so that the PIP effect can be applied. This task can be done either by using on-screen type controls available on the viewer or you can move ahead with transform controls available on the inspector.

Note that lower clips use to stay in the background in final results whereas upper clips will appear in the foreground. By default, both clips use to have 100% full screen with 100% opaque settings.

transform button

Step 3: Apply PIP effect

As now you have added both videos on-screen now you have to select the higher video and then click over the rectangular transform button that is available on the lower-left corner of viewer screen. As soon as you make this selection, the icon will turn into blue color, and naturally 8 dots will appear around the selected image or video. Use any one of these dots for scaling your selection in asymmetrical order.

adjust pip effect

Step 4: Adjust PIP Effect

  • If you want to scale this image in a symmetrical fashion then simply drag the dot to the corner from the central position.
  • Now hold the option key and drag one dot to the corner. It will help you to shrink as well as to enlarge the image even without affecting its actual aspect ratio.
  • Users can keep on scaling this foreground image till the time they achieve essential size.
  • Now click inside your selected image and start dragging it to reach a certain specific position. You can place it anywhere on a big screen.

Step 5: Follow precise Adjustment

Simply select the top clip and then hit Command + 4 to open the inspector. Now click on that blue show button over your FCP screen and it will provide you complete information about the transform category of available built-in effects. If you use inspector for this task then it can help you to get very precise results for scaling needs. It assists users to manage images with accurate position and size.

precise adjustment

Step 6: Apply Cross- Dissolve

  • Now choose the leading edge of effect and use Command + T. It will immediately apply the default cross-dissolve option for starting clip.
  • You will be glad to know that the PIP effect does not restrict users to work just upon a single image rather it can be used to process as many pictures as your project needs and that can fit inside the frame.

dissolve effect

Check this video tutorial to know more details:

Picture in Picture Plug-ins for Final Cut Pro

There are so many plug-ins available in the market for Final Cut Pro platform and all of them possess unique qualities along with impressive toolsets. No matter whether you are a beginner with the PIP effect or professional making high-end video projects, FCP plug-ins can make your task much easier with their intuitive controls.

1. Tokyo PiPintor

PiPintor Free is a specially designed picture-in-picture plugin that assists beginners with easy processing of the PIP effect over Final Cut Pro platform. It simply awakes the menu-driven animation power on your tool so that picture in picture effect can be completed without key-framing.

2. ProPIP

Those who need to enjoy a higher level of customizations are advised to work over ProPIP environment. This advanced tool assists users to showcase their abilities with full freedom for personalization.

ProPIP is the best choice for newscasting, commentaries, and many other applications. It helps in generating fine controls for initial as well as end position, rotation, and scaling effects along with easy-to-use media controls over the screen. ProPIP also provides personalized borders with endless opportunities to develop impressive projects on Final Cut Pro platform.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes we need to show two videos together on the same screen to convey certain usage information. If you are searching for a tool to make this task possible then Final Cut Pro is the best choice for you.

This tool can help you to use the picture-in-picture effect with ease. However, the process for adding this effect cannot be completed within one r two steps.

The article below contains complete details about how to add PIP effects using Final Cut Pro. You will be glad to know that FCP also works with few integrated plugins that assist in the free picture in picture effect generation.

How to Create PIP Effect with FCP

If you are ready with two videos and now want to bring them to the same screen then prefer to follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Add Background video

The very first step that you need to follow for PIP effect generation using FCP is to bring your main or background video to the timeline as a primary storyline. Once you have created the primary storyline then all videos for the PIP effect will be added to it.

add pip video

Step 2: Add PIP videos

It is time to choose the higher video clip so that the PIP effect can be applied. This task can be done either by using on-screen type controls available on the viewer or you can move ahead with transform controls available on the inspector.

Note that lower clips use to stay in the background in final results whereas upper clips will appear in the foreground. By default, both clips use to have 100% full screen with 100% opaque settings.

transform button

Step 3: Apply PIP effect

As now you have added both videos on-screen now you have to select the higher video and then click over the rectangular transform button that is available on the lower-left corner of viewer screen. As soon as you make this selection, the icon will turn into blue color, and naturally 8 dots will appear around the selected image or video. Use any one of these dots for scaling your selection in asymmetrical order.

adjust pip effect

Step 4: Adjust PIP Effect

  • If you want to scale this image in a symmetrical fashion then simply drag the dot to the corner from the central position.
  • Now hold the option key and drag one dot to the corner. It will help you to shrink as well as to enlarge the image even without affecting its actual aspect ratio.
  • Users can keep on scaling this foreground image till the time they achieve essential size.
  • Now click inside your selected image and start dragging it to reach a certain specific position. You can place it anywhere on a big screen.

Step 5: Follow precise Adjustment

Simply select the top clip and then hit Command + 4 to open the inspector. Now click on that blue show button over your FCP screen and it will provide you complete information about the transform category of available built-in effects. If you use inspector for this task then it can help you to get very precise results for scaling needs. It assists users to manage images with accurate position and size.

precise adjustment

Step 6: Apply Cross- Dissolve

  • Now choose the leading edge of effect and use Command + T. It will immediately apply the default cross-dissolve option for starting clip.
  • You will be glad to know that the PIP effect does not restrict users to work just upon a single image rather it can be used to process as many pictures as your project needs and that can fit inside the frame.

dissolve effect

Check this video tutorial to know more details:

Picture in Picture Plug-ins for Final Cut Pro

There are so many plug-ins available in the market for Final Cut Pro platform and all of them possess unique qualities along with impressive toolsets. No matter whether you are a beginner with the PIP effect or professional making high-end video projects, FCP plug-ins can make your task much easier with their intuitive controls.

1. Tokyo PiPintor

PiPintor Free is a specially designed picture-in-picture plugin that assists beginners with easy processing of the PIP effect over Final Cut Pro platform. It simply awakes the menu-driven animation power on your tool so that picture in picture effect can be completed without key-framing.

2. ProPIP

Those who need to enjoy a higher level of customizations are advised to work over ProPIP environment. This advanced tool assists users to showcase their abilities with full freedom for personalization.

ProPIP is the best choice for newscasting, commentaries, and many other applications. It helps in generating fine controls for initial as well as end position, rotation, and scaling effects along with easy-to-use media controls over the screen. ProPIP also provides personalized borders with endless opportunities to develop impressive projects on Final Cut Pro platform.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes we need to show two videos together on the same screen to convey certain usage information. If you are searching for a tool to make this task possible then Final Cut Pro is the best choice for you.

This tool can help you to use the picture-in-picture effect with ease. However, the process for adding this effect cannot be completed within one r two steps.

The article below contains complete details about how to add PIP effects using Final Cut Pro. You will be glad to know that FCP also works with few integrated plugins that assist in the free picture in picture effect generation.

How to Create PIP Effect with FCP

If you are ready with two videos and now want to bring them to the same screen then prefer to follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Add Background video

The very first step that you need to follow for PIP effect generation using FCP is to bring your main or background video to the timeline as a primary storyline. Once you have created the primary storyline then all videos for the PIP effect will be added to it.

add pip video

Step 2: Add PIP videos

It is time to choose the higher video clip so that the PIP effect can be applied. This task can be done either by using on-screen type controls available on the viewer or you can move ahead with transform controls available on the inspector.

Note that lower clips use to stay in the background in final results whereas upper clips will appear in the foreground. By default, both clips use to have 100% full screen with 100% opaque settings.

transform button

Step 3: Apply PIP effect

As now you have added both videos on-screen now you have to select the higher video and then click over the rectangular transform button that is available on the lower-left corner of viewer screen. As soon as you make this selection, the icon will turn into blue color, and naturally 8 dots will appear around the selected image or video. Use any one of these dots for scaling your selection in asymmetrical order.

adjust pip effect

Step 4: Adjust PIP Effect

  • If you want to scale this image in a symmetrical fashion then simply drag the dot to the corner from the central position.
  • Now hold the option key and drag one dot to the corner. It will help you to shrink as well as to enlarge the image even without affecting its actual aspect ratio.
  • Users can keep on scaling this foreground image till the time they achieve essential size.
  • Now click inside your selected image and start dragging it to reach a certain specific position. You can place it anywhere on a big screen.

Step 5: Follow precise Adjustment

Simply select the top clip and then hit Command + 4 to open the inspector. Now click on that blue show button over your FCP screen and it will provide you complete information about the transform category of available built-in effects. If you use inspector for this task then it can help you to get very precise results for scaling needs. It assists users to manage images with accurate position and size.

precise adjustment

Step 6: Apply Cross- Dissolve

  • Now choose the leading edge of effect and use Command + T. It will immediately apply the default cross-dissolve option for starting clip.
  • You will be glad to know that the PIP effect does not restrict users to work just upon a single image rather it can be used to process as many pictures as your project needs and that can fit inside the frame.

dissolve effect

Check this video tutorial to know more details:

Picture in Picture Plug-ins for Final Cut Pro

There are so many plug-ins available in the market for Final Cut Pro platform and all of them possess unique qualities along with impressive toolsets. No matter whether you are a beginner with the PIP effect or professional making high-end video projects, FCP plug-ins can make your task much easier with their intuitive controls.

1. Tokyo PiPintor

PiPintor Free is a specially designed picture-in-picture plugin that assists beginners with easy processing of the PIP effect over Final Cut Pro platform. It simply awakes the menu-driven animation power on your tool so that picture in picture effect can be completed without key-framing.

2. ProPIP

Those who need to enjoy a higher level of customizations are advised to work over ProPIP environment. This advanced tool assists users to showcase their abilities with full freedom for personalization.

ProPIP is the best choice for newscasting, commentaries, and many other applications. It helps in generating fine controls for initial as well as end position, rotation, and scaling effects along with easy-to-use media controls over the screen. ProPIP also provides personalized borders with endless opportunities to develop impressive projects on Final Cut Pro platform.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Sometimes we need to show two videos together on the same screen to convey certain usage information. If you are searching for a tool to make this task possible then Final Cut Pro is the best choice for you.

This tool can help you to use the picture-in-picture effect with ease. However, the process for adding this effect cannot be completed within one r two steps.

The article below contains complete details about how to add PIP effects using Final Cut Pro. You will be glad to know that FCP also works with few integrated plugins that assist in the free picture in picture effect generation.

How to Create PIP Effect with FCP

If you are ready with two videos and now want to bring them to the same screen then prefer to follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Add Background video

The very first step that you need to follow for PIP effect generation using FCP is to bring your main or background video to the timeline as a primary storyline. Once you have created the primary storyline then all videos for the PIP effect will be added to it.

add pip video

Step 2: Add PIP videos

It is time to choose the higher video clip so that the PIP effect can be applied. This task can be done either by using on-screen type controls available on the viewer or you can move ahead with transform controls available on the inspector.

Note that lower clips use to stay in the background in final results whereas upper clips will appear in the foreground. By default, both clips use to have 100% full screen with 100% opaque settings.

transform button

Step 3: Apply PIP effect

As now you have added both videos on-screen now you have to select the higher video and then click over the rectangular transform button that is available on the lower-left corner of viewer screen. As soon as you make this selection, the icon will turn into blue color, and naturally 8 dots will appear around the selected image or video. Use any one of these dots for scaling your selection in asymmetrical order.

adjust pip effect

Step 4: Adjust PIP Effect

  • If you want to scale this image in a symmetrical fashion then simply drag the dot to the corner from the central position.
  • Now hold the option key and drag one dot to the corner. It will help you to shrink as well as to enlarge the image even without affecting its actual aspect ratio.
  • Users can keep on scaling this foreground image till the time they achieve essential size.
  • Now click inside your selected image and start dragging it to reach a certain specific position. You can place it anywhere on a big screen.

Step 5: Follow precise Adjustment

Simply select the top clip and then hit Command + 4 to open the inspector. Now click on that blue show button over your FCP screen and it will provide you complete information about the transform category of available built-in effects. If you use inspector for this task then it can help you to get very precise results for scaling needs. It assists users to manage images with accurate position and size.

precise adjustment

Step 6: Apply Cross- Dissolve

  • Now choose the leading edge of effect and use Command + T. It will immediately apply the default cross-dissolve option for starting clip.
  • You will be glad to know that the PIP effect does not restrict users to work just upon a single image rather it can be used to process as many pictures as your project needs and that can fit inside the frame.

dissolve effect

Check this video tutorial to know more details:

Picture in Picture Plug-ins for Final Cut Pro

There are so many plug-ins available in the market for Final Cut Pro platform and all of them possess unique qualities along with impressive toolsets. No matter whether you are a beginner with the PIP effect or professional making high-end video projects, FCP plug-ins can make your task much easier with their intuitive controls.

1. Tokyo PiPintor

PiPintor Free is a specially designed picture-in-picture plugin that assists beginners with easy processing of the PIP effect over Final Cut Pro platform. It simply awakes the menu-driven animation power on your tool so that picture in picture effect can be completed without key-framing.

2. ProPIP

Those who need to enjoy a higher level of customizations are advised to work over ProPIP environment. This advanced tool assists users to showcase their abilities with full freedom for personalization.

ProPIP is the best choice for newscasting, commentaries, and many other applications. It helps in generating fine controls for initial as well as end position, rotation, and scaling effects along with easy-to-use media controls over the screen. ProPIP also provides personalized borders with endless opportunities to develop impressive projects on Final Cut Pro platform.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

From Jitters to Smooth Sailing: Video Stabilization in AE

Stabilize Shaky Videos After Recording Easily

Wondershare Filmora is one of the most popular video editing software among YouTubers , which provides the video stabilization tool to remove shake from videos within one-click. Download and have a try now.

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Try It Free Try It Free

Video content is becoming increasingly popular; with the proliferation of online content, practically every product now needs its mini-documentary or video clip. Experienced filmmakers and VFX artists used to be the only ones who could get smooth footage. Those days, however, are over.

Adobe After Effects is an excellent tool for smoothing out video footage, in addition to being a great blending and motion animation software; although it’s usually preferable to maintain your film as seamless as possible on location, it’s not the end of the world if you take a seat to edit your video and decide it’s too shaky. In truth, there are several options available to you. In After Effects, there are three options for stabilizing footage. What are they – and how to use After Effects to stabilize footage? Let’s find out!

In this article

01 Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

02 Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

03 Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

Part 1: Stabilize Video with Built-in Warp Stabilizer in AE

The Warp Stabilizer effect is a new technique to cope with unsteady video. In this part, I will show you how to apply Warp Stabilizer to a layer, adjust the effect’s essential parameters, and demonstrate how they work briefly.

Step 1: The Warp Stabilizer is the most excellent built-in choice for After Effects. This may be found under the Distort tools section of the Effects & Presets panel. You may also go to the effects tab and look for “Warp“ in the search box.

after effects effects presets pane

Step 2: When you’ve identified Warp Stabilizer, you’ll have to add it to the layer you want to stabilize. You may accomplish this in one of three different ways. You may either drag and drop the filter into the chosen layer in the composing window, place it on the desired layer in the timeline, or double-tap on the effect while selecting your choice footage layer.

after effects warp stabilizer vfx

Step 3: Once you apply the warp stabilizer, it will start immediately. So now, all you have to do is lay back and let the stabilizer do its job.

(Note: The procedure should take no more than a few minutes, and a blue bar will appear across your composition window, indicating that the warp stabilizer is evaluating the film. The composition panel would then display an orange bar, indicating that the effect is applied).

Step 4: After stabilization, use the spacebar to begin a RAM peek. Choose the layer you added to and click to display the drop-down menu or go to the Effects Control panel whenever you need to tweak the stabilizing effect.

Part 2: Stabilize Shaky Video with Track Motion Feature in AE

Using Stabilize Motion feature to stabilize video is an old-school heritage function from the era of the Creative Suite, it will still be there in After Effects presently and performs admirably.

Step 1: The tracker panel is most likely open by default in your edition of After Effects, but if it isn’t, go to Window in the top menu to open it. Once you’ve arrived here, scroll to the bottom until you locate Tracker and double-check that it has a checkbox beside it.

after effects tracker pane

Step 2: Select Stabilize Motion from the drop-down menu whenever the tracker panel is open. You’ll see that a tracker box appears in your Layer Panel once you’ve done this.

(Note: You’ll need to identify a proper location in your film for the tracker to operate at this stage. We’re monitoring a vehicle using a camera operator’s drone in the instance below).

after effects tracker track motion

Step 3: Let’s press the Play button on the tracker panel once we’ve set up the tracker box. The tracker box should adhere to the location or item you chose when you do this.

(Note: When your tracking points start to go astray, use the Pause button, personally modify the tracking point, and then push play to resume the journey).

adobe effects track motion effects

Step 4: When the tracker is done and satisfied with the results, click Edit target to verify that the tracking data is transferred to the correct layer. Then proceed to the bottom of the page and click the Apply option.

(Note A dialogue window with choices for applying them. Usually, you’ll want to choose X and Y here).

edit target track motion feature

Hit the spacebar to evaluate how well the stabilize motion tracker performed now when you’re back in the composition window. When you’re not pleased with the outcomes, you might have to go back to try again. Although this approach is best used for photos with a clear point of focus that doesn’t go out of frame, it could still be helpful in some situations.

Part 3: Using Stabilization Plugins for Smoother Video in AE

As a graphic and motion designer, animator, or 3D artist, After Effects plugins may completely change the way you operate. Since it can handle so much right out of the box, Adobe After Effects CC is already a go-to motion graphic and compositing program for many artists.

However, as with any good program, third-party plugins could only help you take your work to the next level by adding new features or streamlining your process.

It should be unsurprising that After Effects has many plugins for a program that is over 30 years old. Here are the best stabilization plugins for smoother video in AE:

1. Orb

Orb is focused on generating realistic planets and includes a range of unique features to make planetary creation easy. It utilizes a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s great Element 3D plugin, and it employs a similar 3D engine to Video Copilot’s outstanding Element 3D plugin.

You would believe that making planets in 3D is simple —create a circle, add textures, and you’re done! Getting a world to ‘look’ properly, on the other hand, might be more complicated than it appears.

For example, how can the line between night and day be altered in a model of a populated planet such that cities may be visible at night but not during the day?

Although Orb doesn’t work for every planetary picture, this would function for 90% of them and is a helpful previs tool. This is particularly true when used in conjunction with other After Effects plugins or paired with a 3D lens from a 3D program, which may be brought into After Effects with background plates for things like spacecraft.

2. Depth of Field Generator PRO (DOF PRO)

Richard Rosenman’s renowned Photoshop depth of field generator plugin, DOF PRO (Depth of Field Generator PRO), is now downloadable for After Effects. DOF PRO has become the industry’s professional option for an unprecedented and complex depth of field effects rapidly and effectively as a post-process.

This is thanks to almost a decade of discovery and application since the first launch in 2005. DOF PRO’s cutting-edge characteristics offer new and advanced technologies not found anywhere else, resulting in one of the industry’s most potent and sophisticated depth of field processors.

Capability for chromatic and achromatic aberration, focal plane bokeh distinction, astigmatism and vignetting effects, bespoke aperture maps, and noise recovery are among the advanced features.

There will also be compatibility with the alpha channel and transparency, 32-bit floating-point color, correct aperture displays, and an iris array display. A feature comparison between the plugin and After Effects’ Camera Lens Blur effect can be found here.

3. ReelSteady

ReelSteady for After Effects is a recent addition to the stabilization marketplace. ReelSteady is similar to After Effects’ warp stabilizer plugin. However, the stabilization in ReelSteady is far superior.

ReelSteady also has several other features that make it ideal for creating next-level tunes. Users may design filters to block off specific sections of your frame. This is useful for removing a subject that travels around the frame a lot.

In terms of performance, the After Effects plugin is pretty similar to the warp stabilizer but with a few more features. To begin with, ReelSteady includes a built-in rolling shutter repair tool that operates in tandem with its built-in stabilizer.

The ReelSteady effect is a two-pass effect. For instance, after the effect has been executed for the first time, you will likely wish to level out certain places. You’ll successfully isolate specific parts in the effect to “iron out” sections of the footage.

You would like to record your film at a more excellent resolution than your expected outcome to get the most out of ReelSteady. If you wish to output your video in 4K, you might capture it in 4.6K or 5K. You’ll have some leeway for ReelSteady to work its magic.

ReelSteady’s sole flaw is its high price ($399). ReelSteady is not available in After Effects, unlike some of the other choices on this list. ReelSteady, on the other hand, is the way to go if you would like the smoothest footage imaginable.

Conclusion

Shaky video footage would be the last thing any video creator wants unless it’s done intentionally for artistic or creative reasons. As a result, they employ methods and equipment to keep the camera safe from any undesired movement.

However, occasionally those tools aren’t available, and the outcome is questionable. That is why we decided to compile this article to add to the knowledge of our readers how they can use After Effects to stabilize videos to enhance their video content!

Zero-Cost AVI Video Editors: Our Top 5 Recommendations

Top 5 Free AVI Video Editors In 2024

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays various professional video editing tools which provide amazing effects and abilities are available on the market. But these video editing tools can be too expensive and not very user-friendly. If you just want to edit some home movies, those programs will not very helpful for you. In fact, we can choose free and simple video editing software. Here are my picks for the top 5 free AVI video editing software.


If you want a more powerful yet easy-to-use video editing tool, Filmora Video Editor is highly recommended. It has both the Windows and Mac versions which help you edit all the common video formats to share with the worldwide. Here you can download and try it out.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Top 5 Free AVI Video Editors

1. Windows Movie Make

Windows Movie Maker is a great free video editing tool for Windows users. It’s able to handle the least video formats: asf, avi, .m1v, mp2, .mp2v, mpe, .mpeg, mpg, mpv2, wm, wmv.

It contains features like drag-n-drop functionality, transitions, titles, credits, timeline narration, and more. What’s more, you can even modify the existing effects if you have knowledge about using XML code.

free avi video editor

2. Avidemux

Avidemux is a basic yet very capable video editing program. It supports various video formats such as AVI, MPEG, MP4, and ASF. With it, you can easily splice video clips or add filters. Although this may sound overly simple, it’s actually robust enough to ensure that your videos look professional.

free avi video editor

supported-formats-fx

3. VirtualDub

Virtualdub is a well-known video editing tool that allows you to capture video and perform video editing. It’s geared towards processing AVI files and able to do a variety of pre and post-processing operations on your video. With it, you can adjust the frame rate, remove audio tracks, resize, rotate, flip, adjust the brightness and contrast, and more. Reminder: while installing, it will write some preferences to the Registry.

free avi video editor

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is a free video editor but can handle most of what you’d expect from a professional video editing application. It supports a wide range of video formats like AVI, MOV, MPG, and more. Some of its outstanding features include video capture and import, GPU- accelerated real-time effects, color correction, autosave and media management, etc.

free avi video editor

5. ZS4 Video Editor

ZS4 Video Editor is another free video editing tool with over 150 built-in video effects including excellent color and chroma keying. Users can customize the width and height of the output video, add unlimited tracks and sub-composites, slave effects and change, compose controls to audio waveforms, and more. However, this software is lacking maintenance for long, not recommended in 2021.

top avi video editor

Conclusion:

Filmora, with its powerful features and frequent updates, can handle basically all video formats that you’ll see every day while editing video. A user-friendly interface and low learning curve would help a lot for beginners to edit videos. More importantly, Filmora is totally free to try.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays various professional video editing tools which provide amazing effects and abilities are available on the market. But these video editing tools can be too expensive and not very user-friendly. If you just want to edit some home movies, those programs will not very helpful for you. In fact, we can choose free and simple video editing software. Here are my picks for the top 5 free AVI video editing software.


If you want a more powerful yet easy-to-use video editing tool, Filmora Video Editor is highly recommended. It has both the Windows and Mac versions which help you edit all the common video formats to share with the worldwide. Here you can download and try it out.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Top 5 Free AVI Video Editors

1. Windows Movie Make

Windows Movie Maker is a great free video editing tool for Windows users. It’s able to handle the least video formats: asf, avi, .m1v, mp2, .mp2v, mpe, .mpeg, mpg, mpv2, wm, wmv.

It contains features like drag-n-drop functionality, transitions, titles, credits, timeline narration, and more. What’s more, you can even modify the existing effects if you have knowledge about using XML code.

free avi video editor

2. Avidemux

Avidemux is a basic yet very capable video editing program. It supports various video formats such as AVI, MPEG, MP4, and ASF. With it, you can easily splice video clips or add filters. Although this may sound overly simple, it’s actually robust enough to ensure that your videos look professional.

free avi video editor

supported-formats-fx

3. VirtualDub

Virtualdub is a well-known video editing tool that allows you to capture video and perform video editing. It’s geared towards processing AVI files and able to do a variety of pre and post-processing operations on your video. With it, you can adjust the frame rate, remove audio tracks, resize, rotate, flip, adjust the brightness and contrast, and more. Reminder: while installing, it will write some preferences to the Registry.

free avi video editor

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is a free video editor but can handle most of what you’d expect from a professional video editing application. It supports a wide range of video formats like AVI, MOV, MPG, and more. Some of its outstanding features include video capture and import, GPU- accelerated real-time effects, color correction, autosave and media management, etc.

free avi video editor

5. ZS4 Video Editor

ZS4 Video Editor is another free video editing tool with over 150 built-in video effects including excellent color and chroma keying. Users can customize the width and height of the output video, add unlimited tracks and sub-composites, slave effects and change, compose controls to audio waveforms, and more. However, this software is lacking maintenance for long, not recommended in 2021.

top avi video editor

Conclusion:

Filmora, with its powerful features and frequent updates, can handle basically all video formats that you’ll see every day while editing video. A user-friendly interface and low learning curve would help a lot for beginners to edit videos. More importantly, Filmora is totally free to try.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays various professional video editing tools which provide amazing effects and abilities are available on the market. But these video editing tools can be too expensive and not very user-friendly. If you just want to edit some home movies, those programs will not very helpful for you. In fact, we can choose free and simple video editing software. Here are my picks for the top 5 free AVI video editing software.


If you want a more powerful yet easy-to-use video editing tool, Filmora Video Editor is highly recommended. It has both the Windows and Mac versions which help you edit all the common video formats to share with the worldwide. Here you can download and try it out.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Top 5 Free AVI Video Editors

1. Windows Movie Make

Windows Movie Maker is a great free video editing tool for Windows users. It’s able to handle the least video formats: asf, avi, .m1v, mp2, .mp2v, mpe, .mpeg, mpg, mpv2, wm, wmv.

It contains features like drag-n-drop functionality, transitions, titles, credits, timeline narration, and more. What’s more, you can even modify the existing effects if you have knowledge about using XML code.

free avi video editor

2. Avidemux

Avidemux is a basic yet very capable video editing program. It supports various video formats such as AVI, MPEG, MP4, and ASF. With it, you can easily splice video clips or add filters. Although this may sound overly simple, it’s actually robust enough to ensure that your videos look professional.

free avi video editor

supported-formats-fx

3. VirtualDub

Virtualdub is a well-known video editing tool that allows you to capture video and perform video editing. It’s geared towards processing AVI files and able to do a variety of pre and post-processing operations on your video. With it, you can adjust the frame rate, remove audio tracks, resize, rotate, flip, adjust the brightness and contrast, and more. Reminder: while installing, it will write some preferences to the Registry.

free avi video editor

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is a free video editor but can handle most of what you’d expect from a professional video editing application. It supports a wide range of video formats like AVI, MOV, MPG, and more. Some of its outstanding features include video capture and import, GPU- accelerated real-time effects, color correction, autosave and media management, etc.

free avi video editor

5. ZS4 Video Editor

ZS4 Video Editor is another free video editing tool with over 150 built-in video effects including excellent color and chroma keying. Users can customize the width and height of the output video, add unlimited tracks and sub-composites, slave effects and change, compose controls to audio waveforms, and more. However, this software is lacking maintenance for long, not recommended in 2021.

top avi video editor

Conclusion:

Filmora, with its powerful features and frequent updates, can handle basically all video formats that you’ll see every day while editing video. A user-friendly interface and low learning curve would help a lot for beginners to edit videos. More importantly, Filmora is totally free to try.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nowadays various professional video editing tools which provide amazing effects and abilities are available on the market. But these video editing tools can be too expensive and not very user-friendly. If you just want to edit some home movies, those programs will not very helpful for you. In fact, we can choose free and simple video editing software. Here are my picks for the top 5 free AVI video editing software.


If you want a more powerful yet easy-to-use video editing tool, Filmora Video Editor is highly recommended. It has both the Windows and Mac versions which help you edit all the common video formats to share with the worldwide. Here you can download and try it out.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )


Top 5 Free AVI Video Editors

1. Windows Movie Make

Windows Movie Maker is a great free video editing tool for Windows users. It’s able to handle the least video formats: asf, avi, .m1v, mp2, .mp2v, mpe, .mpeg, mpg, mpv2, wm, wmv.

It contains features like drag-n-drop functionality, transitions, titles, credits, timeline narration, and more. What’s more, you can even modify the existing effects if you have knowledge about using XML code.

free avi video editor

2. Avidemux

Avidemux is a basic yet very capable video editing program. It supports various video formats such as AVI, MPEG, MP4, and ASF. With it, you can easily splice video clips or add filters. Although this may sound overly simple, it’s actually robust enough to ensure that your videos look professional.

free avi video editor

supported-formats-fx

3. VirtualDub

Virtualdub is a well-known video editing tool that allows you to capture video and perform video editing. It’s geared towards processing AVI files and able to do a variety of pre and post-processing operations on your video. With it, you can adjust the frame rate, remove audio tracks, resize, rotate, flip, adjust the brightness and contrast, and more. Reminder: while installing, it will write some preferences to the Registry.

free avi video editor

4. Lightworks

Lightworks is a free video editor but can handle most of what you’d expect from a professional video editing application. It supports a wide range of video formats like AVI, MOV, MPG, and more. Some of its outstanding features include video capture and import, GPU- accelerated real-time effects, color correction, autosave and media management, etc.

free avi video editor

5. ZS4 Video Editor

ZS4 Video Editor is another free video editing tool with over 150 built-in video effects including excellent color and chroma keying. Users can customize the width and height of the output video, add unlimited tracks and sub-composites, slave effects and change, compose controls to audio waveforms, and more. However, this software is lacking maintenance for long, not recommended in 2021.

top avi video editor

Conclusion:

Filmora, with its powerful features and frequent updates, can handle basically all video formats that you’ll see every day while editing video. A user-friendly interface and low learning curve would help a lot for beginners to edit videos. More importantly, Filmora is totally free to try.

supported-formats-fx

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

How to Create Cinematic Look Video with Final Cut Pro X

Full Guide on Making a Big-budget Cinematic Look Video with Final Cut Pro X

author avatar

Caroline Laurent

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Do you enjoy the view of movies? Do you find your videos dull and unexciting? How about giving a cinematic look to your videos?

I bet a lot of editors have been there. However, it won’t take you long to find out that movies are quite different from the video you recorded and edited.

No worries, this article explains why there are differences between self-made videos and movies, as well as simple yet detailed steps to make cinematic look videos with FCPX.

Part 1: Difference between a Cinematic Look and a Normal Video?

The term cinematic is often referred to the black bars or wide-screen frame ratios. Photographers and filmmakers use the term cinematic to describe the look of movies and pictures shot on film.

However, the term has changed its meaning with the advent of digital video and the invention of high-tech devices. With the evolution of the internet across the globe, YouTubers, videographers, and social media influencers have started using this term to describe anything related to cinema and film. In other words, a cinematic look is an unconventional, film-look, and professional appearance of a video that makes a normal clip look elegant and worth watching. See the top 10 movies made by FCPX here.

Blade-Runner-2049-poster

So, here we draw a line between a normal video and the one with a cinematic look. In the latter, you adjust everything that is directly or indirectly linked to the quality of a video, including but not limited to colors, appearance, light, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements.

Resolution refers to the horizontal pixel count such as 2K (2.2 megapixels) or 4K (8.8 megapixels). Similarly, the frame rate defines the number of individual images or frames being displayed on the TV screen per second. The universally accepted film frame rate is 24 FPS, which is used to make high-definition videos. However, most TV broadcasts and shows are recorded at 30fps. See more about FPS here .

Thanks to the advanced video editing tools and applications that have made it easier to capture a cinematic look or make HD cinematic look videos with basic camera setups. If you want to get your desired cinematic look, read the following section.

Part 2: How to Make a Cinematic Look Film Video with FCPX?

The latest features and user-friendly dashboard of Final Cut Pro X allow users (even beginners) to add effects and increase the aesthetics of their videos. Follow these four simple steps to make a cinematic look high-resolution video with Final Cut Pro X.

Step 1: 4K Resolution and Low Frame Rate

To achieve ideal cinematic aesthetics, you need high-quality 4K resolution videos, awesome exposure, the right codec, and lighting. Hence, to start with, capture a high-quality 4K Canon RAW shot with the latest high-tech Canon Log 2 camera. You can also use other devices and choose different codecs and color profiles to get the best color grade.

frame-rate

Step 2: Color Grading and Color Correction

After importing your footage, get ready for color corrections to address issues like conversions for LOG formats through white balance adjustments. Color corrections normalize the color of HD videos into a standard format. Here’s how you can do this:

  1. Go to the Inspector Panel and select the Extended Function
  2. Select the C-Log 2 conversion LUT

color-grading

  1. Make minor exposure and white balance adjustments as per your scope
  2. Select the Color Wheels and Color Mask features to custom select specific areas and colors
  3. Adjust your color grade according to your requirements
  4. Use Color Masking to improve the shadow’s appearance and warm-up mid-tones
  5. You will get a strong color contrast in your footage.

Step 3: Use Slow Motion at the Right Timing

Final Cut Pro X allows its users to make both constant and variable speed changes without disturbing the audio’s pitch. By using slow-motion effects at the right timing, you can make your videos adorable and give them a cinematic look.

  • Select your video and click on the Retiming button
  • Tap on the Slow section

slow-motion

  • You will see multiple options to slow down the speed of your clip
  • The smaller number will slow down your footage
  • To apply custom retiming amounts, again click on the Retiming button and select the Custom option
  • Custom the speed of your clip over 100% or less than 100% as you want
  • After selecting a value, your selected clip will become longer on the timeline.

Step 4: Adopt Film Grain to Make Film-look Videos

Film grain overlays give your videos vintage and cinematic look. Follow these steps to use these film grains in Final Cut Pro X:

  1. Import your footage and film grains downloaded from the internet and layer them into your timeline
  2. Place the film grain on top of your clip
  3. Select the clip and go to the FCPX blend mode dropdown menu located on the top-right of your screen
  4. Click on the Overlay and adjust the opacity of the film grain overlay as required.

filmgrain

Part 3: What Other Factors Contribute to Film-Look Videos

While making cinematic-look videos, also considering the following factors:

Framing

While filming, one must be aware of the emotion to be captured in the frame. For this purpose, follow the “Rule of Thirds,” which means to divide your short into three horizontal and vertical sections and select the third shot to produce some effect.

Tilt Shift

Instead of shooting your clips with a UHD camera, you can add cinematic effect with the Tilt-shift feature by setting the focus of your video. For this purpose, right-click on the video, select Power Tool and check the box with the option Apply Tilt-shift to the clip. Use the slider to adjust the focus.

Background Music

Cinematic clips without background music seem to be unexciting and boring. Adding melodious background music makes your videos look more professional and enjoyable. You can add default music or your favorite music downloaded from the internet by clicking on the Music tab.

Titles and Subtitles

Adding subtitles to your videos can make them understandable for viewers who speak a different language. Click on Text/Credit in Filmora and select Subtitles to add subtitles to your video.

Part 4: How to Add Cinematic Look to Your Footage in Easy Ways

Filmora is an advanced video editing tool developed by Wondershare. Its user-friendly and easy-to-understand interface makes it popular among beginners as well as professionals. And the best thing about Filmora is that the editor provides rich options of presets, effects, and filters to add a film look to your video.

Here’s how you can add a cinematic look to your footage with Filmora.

1, choose Effect

2, search for “cinematic” or “film”

filmora

3, drag the effect you like to the timeline

4, done!

Simple steps, right? For more stunning effects and film-look packages, try filmstock !

filmstock

Conclusion

Get rid of unexciting and dull videos with no animations or effects. It’s time to add a cinematic look to your videos to make them look more professional and elegant.

A variety of tools and applications are available to make cinematic look videos such as Final Cut Pro X and Filmora. Both these software offers advanced video editing features and allow you to make high-resolution cinematic-look videos. You can adjust various aspects of your video such as colors, aesthetics, resolution, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements with these two applications.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Caroline Laurent

Caroline Laurent is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Caroline Laurent

Caroline Laurent

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Do you enjoy the view of movies? Do you find your videos dull and unexciting? How about giving a cinematic look to your videos?

I bet a lot of editors have been there. However, it won’t take you long to find out that movies are quite different from the video you recorded and edited.

No worries, this article explains why there are differences between self-made videos and movies, as well as simple yet detailed steps to make cinematic look videos with FCPX.

Part 1: Difference between a Cinematic Look and a Normal Video?

The term cinematic is often referred to the black bars or wide-screen frame ratios. Photographers and filmmakers use the term cinematic to describe the look of movies and pictures shot on film.

However, the term has changed its meaning with the advent of digital video and the invention of high-tech devices. With the evolution of the internet across the globe, YouTubers, videographers, and social media influencers have started using this term to describe anything related to cinema and film. In other words, a cinematic look is an unconventional, film-look, and professional appearance of a video that makes a normal clip look elegant and worth watching. See the top 10 movies made by FCPX here.

Blade-Runner-2049-poster

So, here we draw a line between a normal video and the one with a cinematic look. In the latter, you adjust everything that is directly or indirectly linked to the quality of a video, including but not limited to colors, appearance, light, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements.

Resolution refers to the horizontal pixel count such as 2K (2.2 megapixels) or 4K (8.8 megapixels). Similarly, the frame rate defines the number of individual images or frames being displayed on the TV screen per second. The universally accepted film frame rate is 24 FPS, which is used to make high-definition videos. However, most TV broadcasts and shows are recorded at 30fps. See more about FPS here .

Thanks to the advanced video editing tools and applications that have made it easier to capture a cinematic look or make HD cinematic look videos with basic camera setups. If you want to get your desired cinematic look, read the following section.

Part 2: How to Make a Cinematic Look Film Video with FCPX?

The latest features and user-friendly dashboard of Final Cut Pro X allow users (even beginners) to add effects and increase the aesthetics of their videos. Follow these four simple steps to make a cinematic look high-resolution video with Final Cut Pro X.

Step 1: 4K Resolution and Low Frame Rate

To achieve ideal cinematic aesthetics, you need high-quality 4K resolution videos, awesome exposure, the right codec, and lighting. Hence, to start with, capture a high-quality 4K Canon RAW shot with the latest high-tech Canon Log 2 camera. You can also use other devices and choose different codecs and color profiles to get the best color grade.

frame-rate

Step 2: Color Grading and Color Correction

After importing your footage, get ready for color corrections to address issues like conversions for LOG formats through white balance adjustments. Color corrections normalize the color of HD videos into a standard format. Here’s how you can do this:

  1. Go to the Inspector Panel and select the Extended Function
  2. Select the C-Log 2 conversion LUT

color-grading

  1. Make minor exposure and white balance adjustments as per your scope
  2. Select the Color Wheels and Color Mask features to custom select specific areas and colors
  3. Adjust your color grade according to your requirements
  4. Use Color Masking to improve the shadow’s appearance and warm-up mid-tones
  5. You will get a strong color contrast in your footage.

Step 3: Use Slow Motion at the Right Timing

Final Cut Pro X allows its users to make both constant and variable speed changes without disturbing the audio’s pitch. By using slow-motion effects at the right timing, you can make your videos adorable and give them a cinematic look.

  • Select your video and click on the Retiming button
  • Tap on the Slow section

slow-motion

  • You will see multiple options to slow down the speed of your clip
  • The smaller number will slow down your footage
  • To apply custom retiming amounts, again click on the Retiming button and select the Custom option
  • Custom the speed of your clip over 100% or less than 100% as you want
  • After selecting a value, your selected clip will become longer on the timeline.

Step 4: Adopt Film Grain to Make Film-look Videos

Film grain overlays give your videos vintage and cinematic look. Follow these steps to use these film grains in Final Cut Pro X:

  1. Import your footage and film grains downloaded from the internet and layer them into your timeline
  2. Place the film grain on top of your clip
  3. Select the clip and go to the FCPX blend mode dropdown menu located on the top-right of your screen
  4. Click on the Overlay and adjust the opacity of the film grain overlay as required.

filmgrain

Part 3: What Other Factors Contribute to Film-Look Videos

While making cinematic-look videos, also considering the following factors:

Framing

While filming, one must be aware of the emotion to be captured in the frame. For this purpose, follow the “Rule of Thirds,” which means to divide your short into three horizontal and vertical sections and select the third shot to produce some effect.

Tilt Shift

Instead of shooting your clips with a UHD camera, you can add cinematic effect with the Tilt-shift feature by setting the focus of your video. For this purpose, right-click on the video, select Power Tool and check the box with the option Apply Tilt-shift to the clip. Use the slider to adjust the focus.

Background Music

Cinematic clips without background music seem to be unexciting and boring. Adding melodious background music makes your videos look more professional and enjoyable. You can add default music or your favorite music downloaded from the internet by clicking on the Music tab.

Titles and Subtitles

Adding subtitles to your videos can make them understandable for viewers who speak a different language. Click on Text/Credit in Filmora and select Subtitles to add subtitles to your video.

Part 4: How to Add Cinematic Look to Your Footage in Easy Ways

Filmora is an advanced video editing tool developed by Wondershare. Its user-friendly and easy-to-understand interface makes it popular among beginners as well as professionals. And the best thing about Filmora is that the editor provides rich options of presets, effects, and filters to add a film look to your video.

Here’s how you can add a cinematic look to your footage with Filmora.

1, choose Effect

2, search for “cinematic” or “film”

filmora

3, drag the effect you like to the timeline

4, done!

Simple steps, right? For more stunning effects and film-look packages, try filmstock !

filmstock

Conclusion

Get rid of unexciting and dull videos with no animations or effects. It’s time to add a cinematic look to your videos to make them look more professional and elegant.

A variety of tools and applications are available to make cinematic look videos such as Final Cut Pro X and Filmora. Both these software offers advanced video editing features and allow you to make high-resolution cinematic-look videos. You can adjust various aspects of your video such as colors, aesthetics, resolution, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements with these two applications.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Caroline Laurent

Caroline Laurent is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Caroline Laurent

Caroline Laurent

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Do you enjoy the view of movies? Do you find your videos dull and unexciting? How about giving a cinematic look to your videos?

I bet a lot of editors have been there. However, it won’t take you long to find out that movies are quite different from the video you recorded and edited.

No worries, this article explains why there are differences between self-made videos and movies, as well as simple yet detailed steps to make cinematic look videos with FCPX.

Part 1: Difference between a Cinematic Look and a Normal Video?

The term cinematic is often referred to the black bars or wide-screen frame ratios. Photographers and filmmakers use the term cinematic to describe the look of movies and pictures shot on film.

However, the term has changed its meaning with the advent of digital video and the invention of high-tech devices. With the evolution of the internet across the globe, YouTubers, videographers, and social media influencers have started using this term to describe anything related to cinema and film. In other words, a cinematic look is an unconventional, film-look, and professional appearance of a video that makes a normal clip look elegant and worth watching. See the top 10 movies made by FCPX here.

Blade-Runner-2049-poster

So, here we draw a line between a normal video and the one with a cinematic look. In the latter, you adjust everything that is directly or indirectly linked to the quality of a video, including but not limited to colors, appearance, light, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements.

Resolution refers to the horizontal pixel count such as 2K (2.2 megapixels) or 4K (8.8 megapixels). Similarly, the frame rate defines the number of individual images or frames being displayed on the TV screen per second. The universally accepted film frame rate is 24 FPS, which is used to make high-definition videos. However, most TV broadcasts and shows are recorded at 30fps. See more about FPS here .

Thanks to the advanced video editing tools and applications that have made it easier to capture a cinematic look or make HD cinematic look videos with basic camera setups. If you want to get your desired cinematic look, read the following section.

Part 2: How to Make a Cinematic Look Film Video with FCPX?

The latest features and user-friendly dashboard of Final Cut Pro X allow users (even beginners) to add effects and increase the aesthetics of their videos. Follow these four simple steps to make a cinematic look high-resolution video with Final Cut Pro X.

Step 1: 4K Resolution and Low Frame Rate

To achieve ideal cinematic aesthetics, you need high-quality 4K resolution videos, awesome exposure, the right codec, and lighting. Hence, to start with, capture a high-quality 4K Canon RAW shot with the latest high-tech Canon Log 2 camera. You can also use other devices and choose different codecs and color profiles to get the best color grade.

frame-rate

Step 2: Color Grading and Color Correction

After importing your footage, get ready for color corrections to address issues like conversions for LOG formats through white balance adjustments. Color corrections normalize the color of HD videos into a standard format. Here’s how you can do this:

  1. Go to the Inspector Panel and select the Extended Function
  2. Select the C-Log 2 conversion LUT

color-grading

  1. Make minor exposure and white balance adjustments as per your scope
  2. Select the Color Wheels and Color Mask features to custom select specific areas and colors
  3. Adjust your color grade according to your requirements
  4. Use Color Masking to improve the shadow’s appearance and warm-up mid-tones
  5. You will get a strong color contrast in your footage.

Step 3: Use Slow Motion at the Right Timing

Final Cut Pro X allows its users to make both constant and variable speed changes without disturbing the audio’s pitch. By using slow-motion effects at the right timing, you can make your videos adorable and give them a cinematic look.

  • Select your video and click on the Retiming button
  • Tap on the Slow section

slow-motion

  • You will see multiple options to slow down the speed of your clip
  • The smaller number will slow down your footage
  • To apply custom retiming amounts, again click on the Retiming button and select the Custom option
  • Custom the speed of your clip over 100% or less than 100% as you want
  • After selecting a value, your selected clip will become longer on the timeline.

Step 4: Adopt Film Grain to Make Film-look Videos

Film grain overlays give your videos vintage and cinematic look. Follow these steps to use these film grains in Final Cut Pro X:

  1. Import your footage and film grains downloaded from the internet and layer them into your timeline
  2. Place the film grain on top of your clip
  3. Select the clip and go to the FCPX blend mode dropdown menu located on the top-right of your screen
  4. Click on the Overlay and adjust the opacity of the film grain overlay as required.

filmgrain

Part 3: What Other Factors Contribute to Film-Look Videos

While making cinematic-look videos, also considering the following factors:

Framing

While filming, one must be aware of the emotion to be captured in the frame. For this purpose, follow the “Rule of Thirds,” which means to divide your short into three horizontal and vertical sections and select the third shot to produce some effect.

Tilt Shift

Instead of shooting your clips with a UHD camera, you can add cinematic effect with the Tilt-shift feature by setting the focus of your video. For this purpose, right-click on the video, select Power Tool and check the box with the option Apply Tilt-shift to the clip. Use the slider to adjust the focus.

Background Music

Cinematic clips without background music seem to be unexciting and boring. Adding melodious background music makes your videos look more professional and enjoyable. You can add default music or your favorite music downloaded from the internet by clicking on the Music tab.

Titles and Subtitles

Adding subtitles to your videos can make them understandable for viewers who speak a different language. Click on Text/Credit in Filmora and select Subtitles to add subtitles to your video.

Part 4: How to Add Cinematic Look to Your Footage in Easy Ways

Filmora is an advanced video editing tool developed by Wondershare. Its user-friendly and easy-to-understand interface makes it popular among beginners as well as professionals. And the best thing about Filmora is that the editor provides rich options of presets, effects, and filters to add a film look to your video.

Here’s how you can add a cinematic look to your footage with Filmora.

1, choose Effect

2, search for “cinematic” or “film”

filmora

3, drag the effect you like to the timeline

4, done!

Simple steps, right? For more stunning effects and film-look packages, try filmstock !

filmstock

Conclusion

Get rid of unexciting and dull videos with no animations or effects. It’s time to add a cinematic look to your videos to make them look more professional and elegant.

A variety of tools and applications are available to make cinematic look videos such as Final Cut Pro X and Filmora. Both these software offers advanced video editing features and allow you to make high-resolution cinematic-look videos. You can adjust various aspects of your video such as colors, aesthetics, resolution, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements with these two applications.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Caroline Laurent

Caroline Laurent is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Caroline Laurent

Caroline Laurent

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Do you enjoy the view of movies? Do you find your videos dull and unexciting? How about giving a cinematic look to your videos?

I bet a lot of editors have been there. However, it won’t take you long to find out that movies are quite different from the video you recorded and edited.

No worries, this article explains why there are differences between self-made videos and movies, as well as simple yet detailed steps to make cinematic look videos with FCPX.

Part 1: Difference between a Cinematic Look and a Normal Video?

The term cinematic is often referred to the black bars or wide-screen frame ratios. Photographers and filmmakers use the term cinematic to describe the look of movies and pictures shot on film.

However, the term has changed its meaning with the advent of digital video and the invention of high-tech devices. With the evolution of the internet across the globe, YouTubers, videographers, and social media influencers have started using this term to describe anything related to cinema and film. In other words, a cinematic look is an unconventional, film-look, and professional appearance of a video that makes a normal clip look elegant and worth watching. See the top 10 movies made by FCPX here.

Blade-Runner-2049-poster

So, here we draw a line between a normal video and the one with a cinematic look. In the latter, you adjust everything that is directly or indirectly linked to the quality of a video, including but not limited to colors, appearance, light, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements.

Resolution refers to the horizontal pixel count such as 2K (2.2 megapixels) or 4K (8.8 megapixels). Similarly, the frame rate defines the number of individual images or frames being displayed on the TV screen per second. The universally accepted film frame rate is 24 FPS, which is used to make high-definition videos. However, most TV broadcasts and shows are recorded at 30fps. See more about FPS here .

Thanks to the advanced video editing tools and applications that have made it easier to capture a cinematic look or make HD cinematic look videos with basic camera setups. If you want to get your desired cinematic look, read the following section.

Part 2: How to Make a Cinematic Look Film Video with FCPX?

The latest features and user-friendly dashboard of Final Cut Pro X allow users (even beginners) to add effects and increase the aesthetics of their videos. Follow these four simple steps to make a cinematic look high-resolution video with Final Cut Pro X.

Step 1: 4K Resolution and Low Frame Rate

To achieve ideal cinematic aesthetics, you need high-quality 4K resolution videos, awesome exposure, the right codec, and lighting. Hence, to start with, capture a high-quality 4K Canon RAW shot with the latest high-tech Canon Log 2 camera. You can also use other devices and choose different codecs and color profiles to get the best color grade.

frame-rate

Step 2: Color Grading and Color Correction

After importing your footage, get ready for color corrections to address issues like conversions for LOG formats through white balance adjustments. Color corrections normalize the color of HD videos into a standard format. Here’s how you can do this:

  1. Go to the Inspector Panel and select the Extended Function
  2. Select the C-Log 2 conversion LUT

color-grading

  1. Make minor exposure and white balance adjustments as per your scope
  2. Select the Color Wheels and Color Mask features to custom select specific areas and colors
  3. Adjust your color grade according to your requirements
  4. Use Color Masking to improve the shadow’s appearance and warm-up mid-tones
  5. You will get a strong color contrast in your footage.

Step 3: Use Slow Motion at the Right Timing

Final Cut Pro X allows its users to make both constant and variable speed changes without disturbing the audio’s pitch. By using slow-motion effects at the right timing, you can make your videos adorable and give them a cinematic look.

  • Select your video and click on the Retiming button
  • Tap on the Slow section

slow-motion

  • You will see multiple options to slow down the speed of your clip
  • The smaller number will slow down your footage
  • To apply custom retiming amounts, again click on the Retiming button and select the Custom option
  • Custom the speed of your clip over 100% or less than 100% as you want
  • After selecting a value, your selected clip will become longer on the timeline.

Step 4: Adopt Film Grain to Make Film-look Videos

Film grain overlays give your videos vintage and cinematic look. Follow these steps to use these film grains in Final Cut Pro X:

  1. Import your footage and film grains downloaded from the internet and layer them into your timeline
  2. Place the film grain on top of your clip
  3. Select the clip and go to the FCPX blend mode dropdown menu located on the top-right of your screen
  4. Click on the Overlay and adjust the opacity of the film grain overlay as required.

filmgrain

Part 3: What Other Factors Contribute to Film-Look Videos

While making cinematic-look videos, also considering the following factors:

Framing

While filming, one must be aware of the emotion to be captured in the frame. For this purpose, follow the “Rule of Thirds,” which means to divide your short into three horizontal and vertical sections and select the third shot to produce some effect.

Tilt Shift

Instead of shooting your clips with a UHD camera, you can add cinematic effect with the Tilt-shift feature by setting the focus of your video. For this purpose, right-click on the video, select Power Tool and check the box with the option Apply Tilt-shift to the clip. Use the slider to adjust the focus.

Background Music

Cinematic clips without background music seem to be unexciting and boring. Adding melodious background music makes your videos look more professional and enjoyable. You can add default music or your favorite music downloaded from the internet by clicking on the Music tab.

Titles and Subtitles

Adding subtitles to your videos can make them understandable for viewers who speak a different language. Click on Text/Credit in Filmora and select Subtitles to add subtitles to your video.

Part 4: How to Add Cinematic Look to Your Footage in Easy Ways

Filmora is an advanced video editing tool developed by Wondershare. Its user-friendly and easy-to-understand interface makes it popular among beginners as well as professionals. And the best thing about Filmora is that the editor provides rich options of presets, effects, and filters to add a film look to your video.

Here’s how you can add a cinematic look to your footage with Filmora.

1, choose Effect

2, search for “cinematic” or “film”

filmora

3, drag the effect you like to the timeline

4, done!

Simple steps, right? For more stunning effects and film-look packages, try filmstock !

filmstock

Conclusion

Get rid of unexciting and dull videos with no animations or effects. It’s time to add a cinematic look to your videos to make them look more professional and elegant.

A variety of tools and applications are available to make cinematic look videos such as Final Cut Pro X and Filmora. Both these software offers advanced video editing features and allow you to make high-resolution cinematic-look videos. You can adjust various aspects of your video such as colors, aesthetics, resolution, motion, frame rate, composition, and camera movements with these two applications.

Download Win Version Download Mac Version

author avatar

Caroline Laurent

Caroline Laurent is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Caroline Laurent

Also read:

  • Title: 2024 Approved Final Cut Pro Tutorial Adding Picture-in-Picture Overlays to Your Videos
  • Author: Emma
  • Created at : 2024-05-19 05:47:43
  • Updated at : 2024-05-20 05:47:43
  • Link: https://video-ai-editor.techidaily.com/2024-approved-final-cut-pro-tutorial-adding-picture-in-picture-overlays-to-your-videos/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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2024 Approved Final Cut Pro Tutorial Adding Picture-in-Picture Overlays to Your Videos